TheCable

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has asked the federal government to shelve the idea of a centralised payroll management system for public tertiary institutions.

Smart Olugbeko, president of the union, said this while reacting to President Bola Tinubu’s recent suspension of the policy mandating public tertiary institutions to remit 40 percent of internally generated revenues (IGR) to the government.

The policy was heavily criticised by stakeholders.

Reacting to the development, Olugbeko asked the Tinubu administration to also spare a thought for the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“The leadership of our union receives with immense satisfaction the decision to suspend the backward policy directing tertiary institutions to start remitting 40% of a non-existent IGR to the federal treasury,” he said.

“We must acknowledge the sense of good reason, listening disposition, democratic ethos, and responsible leadership shown by Mr. President in suspending the policy without allowing the situation to degenerate.

“We anticipate that Mr. President would apply these laudable virtues towards addressing other festering issues plaguing the college of education system and prone to industrial crisis.”

The federal government had introduced the IPPIS for the administration of tertiary institutions. However, academics vehemently opposed the system and proposed an alternative that was never adopted.

COEASU said IPPIS opened the payroll system to unilateral manipulations and fraud beyond the control of tertiary institutions.

He said it also eroded the employment powers of provosts and governing councils since the head of the civil service would now determine who and when to employ.

“IPPIS contravenes global best practices in the management of tertiary institutions and disrespects the peculiarities of the COE system,” the COEASU president added.

“IPPIS has continued to defraud us as we have thousands of cases of short-payment, outright non-payment, unlawful delay and/or withholding of third-party deductions, just to mention but a few.

“We urge President Tinubu to revisit the issue of IPPIS in the interest of justice and industrial harmony.”

COEASU also asked the federal government to address the sack of governing councils, which it said is in violation of their statutory tenure of three years, and in contravention of the FCE Establishment Act.

Among other things, it asked the government to conclude the renegotiation of the COEASU-FG 2010 agreement.

The union also called for an upward review and release of the monthly running grants for colleges of education.